Staying high in Tibetan towns outside Tibet.

68 The old woman of town with their prayer wheels. Chatting and getting through the day.

69 Other nomad who are moving things with their yaks.

70 Hitching again. People dropped me off at this way too expensive hotel because it had gotten dark. After they left I walked away but the girl ran after me and offered her bed. Here we are chatting in the living room-tent.

71 The town of Yushu has been hit with a massive earthquake. It's devastating to see how far they are in four years time. The town is still one big rebuilding mess where people live on top of their old scattered houses.

72 Nearby you find Princess Wencheng Temple where there are so many prayer flags decorating the surrounding hills it makes your yaw hit your chest. A monk being content with visitors.

73 For sun, sand and a huge sun blister on my lip I wore this mask, like EVERY woman here.

74 Millions of flags with a kora.

75 like a spiders web...

76 The monks at the monastery were very interesting in my Lonely Planet and photo's from home. I ate and slept there too.

77 Also close to yushu you have an incredible big main wall. Here a woman makes stones to throw onto the big hill.

78 One of the old woman who walk more then one round on the kora.

79 This stop is for anyone who need some tea and rest from walking around. It was mostly old woman who made a break here.

80 Beautiful decorated hair. Turquoise and coral red.

81 People walking the kora their prayer beads flowing through their fingers.

82 Then I stumbled upon a huge holy event, To Bless the People, somebody told me later. The town of Serxu Daong became my home for a few days. Here a woman shows the Amber stones in her hair.

83 Thousands of monks filled the monastery......

84 ...... and flowed out after all the hums. A very special sight.

85 Monks making clay decorations for some days later.

86 Hot water you can find EVERYWHERE in China. So also at the 'camping' where I had pitched my tent between all the others. Huge barrels were heated with an ever burning fire and the line with kettles and thermoses almost never vanished.

87 The lighted tents by night.

88 The woman look so beautiful and lady-like with their flat hats.

89 Milk and tea is given to the praying monks. In the background you see huge kettles with milk tea and a special food.

90 Two monks serving a porridge which (you may choose) looks like Christmas pudding with dates, or puke.

91 Three Tibetan girls sitting pretty.

92 After I had eaten them I peeked into the kitchen of this Baozi-tent. Not much later I was helping them, folding Baozi for a few hours.

93 Red red red and one yellow.

94 The black nomad tents are made from yak hair.

95 A perfect golden statue of........

96 In Dzogchen the same event was going on. The temple filled with blue, red and yellow decorated heads.

97 View from the temples and glacier of Dzogchen. Nice location no?

98 Hitching through autumn gorges. I spirits became even more happy. I love this vibrant season.

99 Baozi, tea and spicy dipping sauce: Breakfast.

100 The temple in Dege had many pillows and rice/flower bags for all townspeople to sit on.

101 The Yellow Hat monks humming and praying while they make all Boesha's hand moves.

102 Playing the shell horn and (I don't know how you call those).

103 In this area, back to forests instead of highlands, the houses are made from logs painted red. And to feet their cattle in winter they dry hay and plants on high racks.

104 Flower and butter, kneading. Poor tea and let it sink in while sipping a little bit. Kneading, kneading until you have this ball. Eating and drinking tea because it's VERY dry. You do everything with your hands. and they eat this all day.

105 Painting their new house.

106 Kids looking for little roots to spice-up the food.

107 Inside one of those log houses. What colours no? The families are not so big, but everybody lives in three rooms.

108 pretty bird who sings very nice.

109 Higher hills with autumn colors.

110 The deep decorated old houses in Baiyu, a very nice town far off the main road.

111 How to make a house. Black earth is stamped with big, heavy wooden poles until it forms a wall. I tried too, but it's really heavy.

And now I'm in Chengdu waiting for Siebe who will arrive in 9 hours (yes I'm counting). It will be different, meeting people, hitch hiking, sleeping in a small tent, sharing dinners and opinions. Sometimes I will wish that I was back on my own again, old habit are hard to undo, but mostly I love him to be here and share with me this crazy strange world of China. It's pretty lonely to travel here sometimes. Also Nature will change dramatically in the next tow months. But, as there is no way to get to Blogger, you will read the rest in a long time.